Display-rack.



No. 892,418. PATENTED JULY 7, 19.08.

W. FREEMAN.

DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FREEMAN, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GRAND RAPIDS SHOW CASE COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

DISPLAY-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '7', 1908.

Application filed May 1, 1908. Serial N 0r430,357.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dislay-Racks and I do hereby declare the follbwing to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will cnab e others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to display racks for holding various articles of merchandise, and its object is to provide an improved expansible rack adapted to be increased or decreasedin width to conform to the goods to be placed therein, and also adapted to be folded in compact form for storage or transportation as occasion may require, and to rovide the same with various new and uselul features hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My device consists essentially'of a pair of telescopic side bars each supporting upright retainers, said bars being connected by arms separately pivoted at one end to a center plate and having heads provided with intermeshing teeth at the periphery, whereby all of the arms move simultaneously about their pivots, said arms being pivoted at their ends to the respective outer ends of the side bars, and auxiliary strips pivoted to each other at one end and to the arms at the other end, and rejecting between the outer ends of the side ars, as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1. is a perspective of the device adjusted for use; Fi 2. an inverted plan view of the same and Fig. 3. an inverted plan view of the device closed in compact form.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

A pair of side bars 1 are arranged parallel with each other and adapted to approach and recede, each bar being divided and overlapping at the middle and each portion provided at the overlapping end with a clip 2 attached thereto and slidably embracing the other portion, whereby the bar is ada ted to elongate and contact longitudina ly. In the outer end of each bar is mounted upright retainers preferably formed of inverted U- shaped wire loops riveted at their ends in openings in the bars.

3 is a center plate to support the middle of the goods and to which is pivotally attached four radiating arms 4 each having a head concentric with its pivot and provided with gear teeth which intermesh with those of the two adjacent heads whereby all four" the same, strips 6 of equal length and o'l".

substantially one-half of the length of the arms 4 are pivoted at one end to the respec tive arms midway thereof and each pair of said strips extend outward from these pivots and are pivoted to each other at their outer ends, which ends are substantially midway between the ends of the side bars. strips thus serve to support the outer ends of the goods placed in the device.

The operation of my device is obvious from the drawin s and foregoing description.

hat I c aim is: I

1. A display rack comprising telescopic side bars, a center plate, arms separately pivoted to the center plate at their adjacent ends and pivoted to the side bars at their other ends, and upright retainers on the respective ends of the side bars.

2. A display rack comprising side bars divided and overlapping at the middle, means for slidably connecting said overla )ping portions, a center plate, arms separate y pivoted at their adjacent ends to said plate and pivoted to the side bars at their other ends, and upright retainers on the respective ends of the side bars.

3. A display rack comprising telescopic side bars, a center plate, arms separately pivoted to said plates and having heads provided with intermeshing gear teeth whereby the arms are connected to turn simultaneously, said arms also supporting the side bars and pivoted thereto.

4. A display rack comprising telescopic side bars arranged parallel and in the same plane, upright retainers fixed on the respec tive ends of said bars, a center plate, arms separately pivoted to the center plate at one These end and to the side bars at the other end, strips pivoted at one end to the respective arms near the middle thereof and extended outward and between the side bars and also pivioted to each other in pairs at their outer 611 S.

5.- In a display rack, the combination of side bars having overlapping parts, clips attached to each of said parts and slidably engaging the other part, upright retainers on each part, a center plate, arms separately pivoted to said plates at one end, heads 011 said arms each having teeth intermeshing with the teeth on two adjacent heads, said arms also pivoted at their outer ends to the side bars, strips pivoted at one end to the re spective arms near the middle thereof and extending outward to between the ends of the side bars and pivoted to each other in pairs at their outer ends.

6. A display rack comprising telescopic side bars, upright retainers on the respective ends of the side bars, radially projecting arms pivoted near the middle of the device and also pivoted to the respective ends of the side bars to support and adjust thesame.

7. A display rack combining side bars, up-

' right retainers on the respective ends of the side bars, radial arms pivoted near the middle of the device, means for simultaneously moving-the arms, said' arms being pivoted to the side bars near the respective ends of the same, and strips pivoted at one end to the arms near the middle thereof and extending outward between the ends of the side bars, and also pivotally connected at their outer ends.

8. A display rack comprising side bars having divided and overlapping portions slidably connected, upright U-shaped retainers on the respective ends of the side bars, radially projecting arms pivoted near the middle of the device and having their ends pivoted to the side bars, and strips pivoted at one end to the arms and extending outward therefrom to between the ends of the arms and also pivoted to each other in pairs at their outer ends.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM FREEMAN. Witnesses:

PALMER A. JoNEs, L. V. MoULToN. 

